Tape cutter for spools



Sept. 23, 1952 s. A. SHERRILL 2,611,431

TAPE CUTTER FOR SPOOLS Filed April 22, 1947 Elma/WM:

Patented Sept. 23, 1952 lJliED s'rr OFFICE 1 Claim.

This invention relates to tape holders and more especially to a tape holder of the type having a cutting or tearing device as a part of its structure, especially adapted to the efficient and convenient dispensing of adhesive tape and goods of similar form. It is an object of this invention to provide a tape holder with cutting means detachably secured thereto which can be installed after the tape is wound onto the spool, and which can be removed from a spool of adhesive tape after the tape has been exhausted therefrom and reinserted on a new spool filled with a new supply of adhesive tape.

Some of the objects of the invention having been stated, other objects will appear as the description proceeds when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a top plan view of a spool of adhesive tape with my invention attached thereto;

Figure 2 is an elevation of the spool and cutting means taken along the line 2-2 in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 33 in Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an elevation similar to Figure 2 but showing a portion broken away and showing how the device would be used in the hand of an operator;

Figure 5 is a view taken along the line 5-5 in Figure 4.

Referring more specifically to the drawings, the numerals l and II indicate the end plates or heads of a spool which are annular and a barrel portion I2 is inserted through these heads 19 and H and the ends of the barrel portion and the inner portions of the heads l0 and I l are seamed together as at 13.

The peripheries of the heads I0 and l I are rolled upon themselves as at 14 to provide a bead around the periphery of each of the heads 19 and l I. This is a conventional type of spool onto which adhesive tape is wound. This roll of adhesive tape is indicated at l and in removing a piece of tape from the roll, the customary practice is to unwind the desired length and then to cut it with a pair of scissors or to tear it. I have provided means whereby a simple device can be attached to the beads l4 for cutting this tape in a very efilcient manner.

I provide a member 16 having spring clamp portions 11 and 18 at the ends thereof which are adapted to be slipped over and clampingly engage the beads 14 of the heads and H of the spool. To this member [6 is welded or otherwise secured a leaf spring member 20 and near the free end of the leaf spring member 20 it is doubled upon itself as at 21 to provide a stop so that when it is pressed inwardly against the roll of tape, it will pinch and bind the tape at the point where it separates from the roll and hold it against further unwinding. The member 20 projects for wardly beyond the projection 21 and has a down turned sharpened blade portion 22 which occupies a position in spaced relation to the roll 15 so that when the projection 2| is against the roll of tape, the knife 22 will be spaced from the roll of tape, and. the piece of tape which has been unwound from the roll can be easily cut by giving a sidewise pull on the tape to engage it with the knife 22 to cut the same.

It is thus seen that I have provided a tape cutter for adhesive tape spools and the like which can be quickly inserted on a new roll of tape and which can be quickly removed from an exhausted spool and clamped onto another spool for use many times on various spools.

In the drawings and specification there has been set forth a preferred embodiment of the invention, and although specific terms are employed, they are used in a generic and descrip tive sense only, and not for purposes of limitation, the scope of. the invention being defined in the claim.

I claim:

A tape cutter for a spool having a hollow barrel member around which a supply of adhesive tape is disposed, said barrel member having heads at opposed ends thereof, and each of said heads having a peripheral flange, said tape cutter comprising a transverse plate, the outer ends of said plate having reversely curved portions for clampingly engaging the outer edges of said peripheral flanges, a leaf spring having one end thereof rigidly secured to said transverse plate, said leaf spring having an inwardly directed U-shaped projection intermediate the ends thereof, said U-shaped projection and the free end of said leaf spring normally lying in a plane outside the area defined by said peripheral flanges, the outer free end of said leaf spring being sharpened and turned inwardly towards the barrel member and forming a, cutting edge, whereby said leaf spring may be pressed inwardly to cause the U-shaped projection to engage the tape disposed on the barrel member after a length of tape has been withdrawn from the barrel.

SIDNEY A. SHERRILL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 788,708 Cox May 2, 1905 1,842,288 Reitmann Jan. 19, 1932 2,229,961 Deane Jan. 28, 1941 2,272,628 Anderson Feb. 10, 1942 2,284,807 Donahoo June 2, 1942 2,444,117 Sloane June 29, 1948 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 898,088 Great Britain Sept. 7, 1933 

